Headteachers from across the country have backed a Plymouth-borne child safeguarding scheme at a national conference.

Earlier this month the National Association of Head Teachers annual conference debated a motion calling to support the work of Operation Encompass.

Operation Encompass was the brainchild of former Devonport officer Sgt David Carney-Haworth and his wife, Torpoint nursery and infant head teacher Elisabeth.

In 2011 they created a system which shared police reports of domestic abuse incidents in Plymouth where children were present with the schools they attended, before the youngsters arrived at school the following morning. The schools were then able to support the child in any manner needed.

The scheme quickly garnered praise across the city and beyond, including chief constables, MPs, councillors, government ministers, Plymouth City Council’s director of children’s services as well as experts in the field of domestic violence and child psychology.

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Operation Encompass supports children the morning after witnessing domestic abuse at home (Image: Penny Cross)

In 2016 HM Inspectorate of Constabulary’s lead on domestic abuse, Zoe Billingham, described the scheme as “fantastic” adding: “Why wouldn’t you support it. I don’t think I’ve every come across a scheme so simple and have so profound an effect on a child.”

The scheme has since been rolled out 27 forces in England and Wales, with interest even coming from police forces and educational establishments in Australia, Canada and Europe.

It was finally rolled out across Devon and Cornwall Police’s area in January this year and in the first 28 days police have contacted schools in the region regarding 532 children.

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The motion was put forward by a head teacher from Cornwall and the NAHT conference voted unanimously to support and promote Operation Encompass.

Elisabeth Carney-Haworth said she was overjoyed and proud the association, of which she is a member, has chosen to show it’s wholehearted support.

She said she initially spoke with Paul Gosling, an Exmouth headteachers and South West area representative for the NAHT who asked if the scheme could be presented at the annual conference which was held in Liverpool on May 5.

Operation Encompass logo

She said: “The NAHT brings together virtually every head teacher across the country and I’m very proud of them for backing the scheme.

“Their vote is the NAHT saying ‘we want this in every one of our schools’.

“They are effectively lobbying the remaining police forces and the government to ensure Operation Encompass is in every school.

“The ultimate aim is to put this on a statutory footing so every force has to roll it out and provide that much needed information to all schools.

Victims of domestic abuse often leave with nothing but the clothes they're wearing (Image: Picture posed by models)

“Speaking as a headteacher and the way they voted, it makes me very proud of my colleagues that they’ve seen and recognised how important Operation Encompass is for their children.

“I know of other headteachers who have said Operation Encompass is one of the best things that has happened in terms of safeguarding in schools for a long time.

“There have also been unforeseen positive spin-offs; as a direct result of Operation Encompass, domestic abuse is no longer a closed subject in my school.

“Parents who have been involved in a domestic incident the previous evening will come in to see me, telling me that they have had an ‘Encompass’ even when the police have not been involved.

“This all means that we are able to support our families even more and this has a very positive impact for the children.”